Misconceptions of palliative care dispelled at unique event

People living with serious and life-limiting conditions and their carers benefitted from an event in Coventry last week which outlined what support was available in the UK.

The event, held at The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, saw experts from the University of Birmingham and Warwick Medical School discuss a topic entitled “Let’s talk about living well with serious illness.”

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), academics, alongside doctors, nurses, and staff from local hospitals, as well as Myton, Marie Curie, and St Giles hospices, were all on hand to provide a listening ear and give advice.

Dr. Katharine Weetman from the University of Birmingham led the research, with her area of expertise being communication between healthcare professionals and patients.

Dr Weetman explained, ahead of the event, that “a life-limiting illness or disease that cannot be cured is fraught with challenges and can impact considerably on everyday activities not only for the person experiencing it but those who are close to them.”

“Good communication can improve that experience, having a positive impact on outcomes such as achieving personal preferences and goals as well as reducing anxiety and frustration particularly during times of transition between health settings or times of crisis. We hope that this event will help many people better understand the support that’s available in palliative care and that we can dispel some of the myths around what’s available.”

Members of the public attending the event benefitted from the free expertise of Dr. Weetman, Professor Cara Bailey, and one of the event leads, Dr. Celia Bernstein from Warwick Medical School, who had been conducting research on the experiences of patients (and their carers) being discharged from palliative care.

Recent research suggested that around one in three patients who received care from a palliative care provider, such as a hospice, may have been discharged back into the community as their needs and preferences changed. However, there were consistently strong public perceptions about palliative care being a ‘one-way’ process. The event, along with other work done by Dr. Weetman and others, aimed to provide better information and improve communication surrounding how palliative care could be best provided.


“There are misconceptions that palliative care is when nothing more can be done or only for people who do not think positively or hopefully about their own life. On the contrary, palliative care emphasises quality of life and living well with good outcomes, embracing a holistic model of care prioritising what matters most to people,” Professor Cara Bailey, an expert researcher in end-of-life care, a nurse by background, and joint chair at St Giles Hospice, said.

“Not only are there untruths surrounding public understanding of palliative care, there is also much fear. In the research, a common reflection amongst the interviews with patient and carer participants (who had recent experience of palliative care) was wishing they had known more about hospice before engaging with the service.

“People told us they were surprised by the ‘beautiful’ hospice environment and the positivity and dedication shown by hospice staff. People who had initially been reluctant to access hospice services due apprehension as to what it meant for prognosis, were hugely grateful for the support and quality of care it provided and the opportunities it gave them to live well with serious illness.”